


Dawn of Her Life

by DeadEyedChaos



Series: Tsu-chan [1]
Category: One Piece
Genre: And Tsukihime is here for it, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Canon-Typical Violence, Canonical Character Death, Dealing with misplaced guilt and trauma and fear, Family Fluff, Found Family, I'm sorry i want him to live too but I can't let it happen in this fic, Luffy Being Luffy, Mostly a Found Family fic?, One Piece Universe, Original Character(s), Original Character-centric, Original Female Character - Freeform, POV Original Character, POV Original Female Character, Portgas D. Ace Needs a Hug, Portgas D. Ace still dies, Protective Monkey D. Luffy, Protective Portgas D. Ace, Strawhat pirates are found family and you can't tell me otherwise, Tsukihime (One Piece OC), Tsukihime is mute, Tsukihime loves her ragtag group and is always tired, With a healthy dose of friendship love and heartache, Yes I went 'Luffy needs a sister' and this fic was born, and yes she's going to always be mute, aw thats actually really cute uwu, she didn't pick her name and yet she still keeps it because they gave it to her
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-17
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:00:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 18,995
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27057601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DeadEyedChaos/pseuds/DeadEyedChaos
Summary: Tsukihime knew how brutally unforgiving the sea is, and wanted to never step foot into that world again.It wasn't until she loved her boys so much that she would do anything to stay with them.Tsukihime sails the sea with her brother in hope of meeting Ace again who left 2 years ago, throwing away her promise to stay safe and to wait for him.  So she learns to sacrifice and endure as she starts to love the adventure and the ragtag group of stragglers they pick up along the way.She embraces the chaos and the fear, choking on her own heartbreak and forcing herself back together again.Knowing now she finally found the family she always wanted, she would do anything to keep them all.Or:She hated the sea; the vastness, the never-ending depth, the unpredictability, the ferocity, the relentlessness, the uncontrollable.She loved Luffy, for the exact same reasons she hated the sea.But she could hold him and feel safe, the sea held her and she could not breathe.She knew its lies, knew the feathery caresses could turn to surges of rage-filled madness.Yet, she still stepped into that tiny sailboat with her sun-like brother and knew her whole life was about to change.
Relationships: Minor Portgas D. Ace/Original Female Character(s), Portgas D. Ace/Original Female Character(s)
Series: Tsu-chan [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1980391
Comments: 4
Kudos: 11





	1. Poor Pirate Cabin Boy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tsukihime kind of came out of nowhere when I started binging One Piece. She was incredibly persistent in her presence, so much so I decided to let her shine out in her own fic.
> 
> Let me tell you how much she doesn't actually like her name lmfaooo but Sabo, Luffy, and Ace gave it to her so she accepts it because nothing else sounds good
> 
> Our Tsukihime is actually the first mute character that I started writing for and she will not be any different by the end of this fic. She is who she is.  
> She's a bit shy and insecure, but I promise she'll be growing into herself soon.
> 
> Found family is one of the things I'm incredibly weak for so I had to write one for One Piece.
> 
> I'm not sure this is the Title I want for this fic but we shall see how it goes.
> 
> Please Enjoy!

She hated the sea; the vastness, the never-ending depth, the unpredictability, the ferocity, the relentlessness, the uncontrollable.

She loved Luffy; for the exact same reasons, she hated the sea.

But she could hold him and feel safe, the sea held her and she could not breathe.

She gripped the sides of the small rowboat as the ocean whispered gentleness in its waves. She knew its lies, knew the feathery caresses could turn to surges of rage-filled madness. Yet....yet when she looked up and saw Luffy's sun-like smile, she would not regret demanding to come with him. Whether she came with him because she feared being alone or she came with him because she feared he would go and get himself killed is up to debate. She was almost certain it was both.

‘Sabo, please give me strength’, she prayed silently, as she reached out to grip Luffy’s shirt before he nose-dived into the sea. She whistled at Luffy, high pitched to get her anger across to him.

“Sorry, sorry!” he giggled, righting himself back into the boat, while she gripped the boat again.

She almost wished her pseudo-brother had plummeted into the sea, so he could see how completely crazy his idea of being a pirate, as a devil fruit eater, is. Especially seeing how she couldn’t swim even if her own life was in danger. She gripped the boat tighter, feeling the wood bite into her skin enough that the pain kept the panic at bay. They could turn around right now, be back to the island within 1 day, and go back to normal. She could start helping Ms. Makino around the bar, Luffy could--

She realized the boat was going in a wide circle, which was swirling faster and faster inward. She whistled, shrill, and piercing as she looked into Luffy’s smiling carefree face.

“Who would have thought we would get into such a disaster just as we started?” Luffy’s nonchalant voice made her murderous as she sprung forward to grab an oar. Only to drop it in despair in the knowledge that it wouldn’t help in a whirlpool.

“What are we going to do?!”  She signed to her air-headed adopted sibling

“What a huge whirlpool...” Luffy rubbed underneath his chin. “A bit careless of us, huh? There isn’t anyone around to help us, so it would be really bad if the boat wrecks...”

She let loose a low groan, which was almost closer to a growl as her small hands made rapid-fire signs.  “And we both can’t swim!”

He waved away her hands. “In a whirlpool, it doesn’t really make a difference if you can swim or not!”

She made a horrid unladylike choking sound as she surged forward to grip onto him tightly as the whirlpool engulfed them.

–

She officially hated Monkey D. Luffy. Abhorred him. Wished him the worse kind of torture. Wished his feet wouldn’t dig so much into her sides as she tried to get comfortable inside the wooden barrel they squeezed into. Wished he didn’t so sleep so easily wherever he is because for once, for once she wished he was awake to make some chaos when she felt them rolled someplace. She was so grateful for being so tiny compared to many, in particular, Luffy. Because if she wasn’t this would be even more of a terrible experience for them both.

“What?? The barrel of sake washed up on shore?? Koby?” a male voice said.

“Ye-yes! And it isn’t empty...I wasn’t sure what to do with it….??” replied a shaky, cracking voice who she assumed to be the Koby the male was speaking to.

“Well, I definitely know what to do with it. Let's drink it all up!” said a different male from the first one. She tensed up her arms as the barrel was pushed over a doorway and into an upright position. Her legs made sure Luffy’s still sleeping body didn’t bang into the sides of the barrel and give them away as not being sake.

“If the Captain figures out, we’ll be dead meat!” said the first voice again.

“Then we make sure she doesn’t find out.” a third male voice chuckled. “It’s just us three and Koby...”

“You’re right…..”

“And you haven’t see nuthin’ right, Koby?”

“R-right!!! I haven’t seen anything!! Please don’t hit me.” The meek, shaky voice of Koby whimpered out. She had a sudden flash of pity that tightened her chest. ‘Poor boy’, she thought, as she tried to prod Luffy awake with her toes. She definitely wasn’t prepared for him shooting up from his sleep and busting through the top of the barrel.

“That was a great nap!!” Luffy stretched out, “Woooo, looks like we survived, Tsu-chan!!”

She once again bemoaned the fact her adopted brother was so…..unconcerned about things, even if she was the one who was hoping he was up to make some chaos. And wished, through the sudden deafening silence, that she’ll live long enough to see Ace again.

“Huh???” Luffy voiced out the confusion that the males all felt at that moment. She curled her legs up to her chest as she tried to find a way out as well, without tipping over the barrel they were in. The pack she had on her back and hip digging painfully in her body. “Who are you guys??”

“WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?!” Three male voices screeched back. Tsukihime almost wanted to laugh at how absurd their situation was, if...she wasn’t  actually in the situation.

“Where did you come from?” barked one of the male voices. Tsuki clutched at Luffy's shorts as the barrel swayed with his movements.

“GET BACK TO WORK, YOU LAZY DOGS!” a woman's voice bellowed out, just as the males screamed and the barrel started rolling. Luffy’s knee slammed into her lip, and she tasted blood on her tongue. She exclaimed, wordlessly, at the sudden pain, and brought her arms up to curl around her head to protect herself from the barrel and any more unintentional bumps from her brother.

“Woaaooaahhhh!!!” Luffy exclaimed as they finally stopped. “Tsu-chan!! Are you okay??”

She replied with a groan and a shove to get him out of the barrel and away from her. He quickly wiggled out of the barrel and offered his hand for her to use as leverage.

“Um….are you okay..? Are you hurt?? After being knocked around like that….” said the meek little cracking voice identified as Koby as she finally got out of the barrel. She turned to look at the boy and was surprised to see cute pink hair, geeky glasses, and a chubby face. She smiled gently at him until the stinging pain of a split lip made her dab at her face in sudden embarrassment. She knew she looked like hell because she could already feel the blood drying on her chin and cheek.

“I’m fine, just surprised is all!” Luffy laughed freely, “Tsu is a bit banged up but she’ll be fine too. My names Luffy! Where are we?”

Koby held out a handkerchief toward her that she gratefully accepted, bowing her head. She was able to smear the rest of the blood off her face and clean up around her lip, as she listened to Koby.

“This place is the hideout for Iron Mace Alvida, The Lady Pirate. I’m Koby her cabin boy.”

“I see…..well, none of that really matters to me,” Luffy said as he shuffled around the clearing.

“Oh….” Koby awkwardly mumbled. Tsuki clicked her tongue softly and smiled apologetically at him when he locked eyes with her. He blushed, the redness coating his cheeks and neck endearingly. She, in her own sudden embarrassment, turned tomato red with him and shoved her uselessly hanging goggles back onto her face to conceal her damning eyes. She hurriedly turned to Luffy, to hide away from the silent inquiring eyes of the meek boy and her own ever apparent shame of having eyes like hers.

“You wouldn’t happen to have a dinghy around? Ours got destroyed in the giant whirlpool.” Luffy asked, whipping around to Koby.

“You were in a giant whirlpool?!!?” Koby yelped, horrified. Whether he was horrified with how nonchalant Luffy said it or horrified they were in a giant whirlpool was definitely up for debate. But even so, Tsu thought, it’s always funny to see people interact with her weirdly charismatic and lovable Luffy.

“Yeah, caught us by surprise, right, Tsu?” Luffy sighed. She whistled lowly in response, nodding, dragging her hand across her forehead in exaggerated relief. She heard Koby give a little chuckle at her antics. Her ears tinted pink at the attention, as she nervously fiddled with her goggles.

“You’re truly lucky to be alive!” Koby said, “But...if it’s a dinghy you want….I have one... kinda…sorta...Just follow me.”

They stopped in front of a pathetic-looking little boat. She felt a pang of pity for the poor ugly thing.

“What is this?? A coffin??” Luffy said in disbelief. She sucked in air to keep the laugh from escaping her and whacked Luffy on his arm at his rudeness. Even if it was a depressing little thing, Koby had graciously offered it to them.

“It’s a boat I secretly built for 2 years….” Koby nervously twiddled his hands. Tsu felt another pang of sympathy toward the younger boy; a terribly cowardly boy, yet deserving of sympathy all the same. She could only hope someone would have sympathy for her when she is cowardly.

“Spent two years on it…yet you don’t want it anymore?” Luffy questioned, staring down at the rickety, sloppily made boat.

“Yea…I… don’t want it anymore…” Koby gripped the side of the boat, a bitter smile on his chubby face. “I was going to run away with this…but I don’t have the guts to even do it. It just looks like I’m going to be a pirate’s caretaker for the rest of my life. Although, I do have something else I would like to do…”

“Then leave.” Luffy so bluntly supplied. ‘Wow thanks for your brilliant advice, Lu, not everyone has the guts to simply do as they wish,’ she griped internally, poking at the nails on the side of the boat.

“NO WAY! I CAN’T!” The boy screeched. Tsuki flinched at the pitch he hit and stared wide-eyed at the panicking Koby. “IT’LL NEVER WORK! WHENEVER I THINK OF LADY ALVIDA FINDING OUT, MY LEGS TURN ALL MUSHY!!”

Tsuki turned back to the boat and started to examine it for holes as Koby explained how he came to be the pirates’ chore boy. She had to smirk at the fact he so carelessly hopped onto a pirate boat because he wanted to go fishing. And! The kicker was he’s been bullied because of that mistake for the past two years. ‘Poor kid.’

“You’re stupid and useless.” Luffy matter-a-factly stated. “And a coward too. I don’t like you.”

Tsuki shook her head at Luffy’s typical bluntness and the fact that the boat may just be too much of a patch job to use. She put her shoulder under the lip of the top of the boat to lift it just a bit to see more underneath it.

Koby hung his head, comically tearfully laughing at Luffy’s harsh words toward him. “You’re right; if only I was brave enough….Hey, Luffy-san…why are you going out to sea?”

Tsuki glanced up to Luffy in preparation to see his conviction and dream.

“I’m gonna be the King of the Pirates!!” Luffy said, with his brilliant smile lighting up his face. She felt her own lips tug into an involuntary smile as she ducked back down to continue looking at the boat. She was not impressed, but she was certain it would last until the next island. '....Maybe,' she flinched as it creaked suspiciously.

“Wha?!?! What!? ‘Pirate King’ was the title of someone who has had everything in this world! Wealth, power, notoriety! You would have to achieve it all!! And the most important thing of all is Gold Roger’s lost treasure, The One Piece!!!” Koby squeaked out, breathless with fear. “Do you want to get killed?!? Every pirate is after that!!”

“And so am I.” Luffy said, frown deepening at Koby’s near hysterics.

“The odds are stacked against you!! It’s  impossible !! No way! Becoming the King of the Pirates during the golden age of piracy?! It’ll never happen!!” Koby’s rant as stopped by Luffy’s fist landing painfully on his forehead. Tsuki winced but felt at that point Koby deserved the light tap from Luffy.

“Ouuuuchhh, why did you hit me?!” Koby moaned, clutching at his head and slowly rising from his prone position on the ground.

“Because I felt like it.” Tsuki had to snort a bit at that, crouching down at Koby’s side to check his bruise. It wasn’t bad at all, a light love tap. She smiled reassuringly at the sheepish boy.

“It’s all right…I’m pretty used to it now…” He wetly giggled out, cheeks reddening at her gentle pat on the shoulder. Luffy took off his hat, gaze turning warm and determined.

“I’m not afraid to die. It’s not about whether I can or not. I’ve set out to become King of the Pirates because I want to. To die fighting for that, I’m fine with that!” Luffy declared, intense as always with his dream. Tsu’s throat closed up, the ever aching fear of losing her brother sharpening even as the heat of his passion warmed her. Koby looked in awe at Luffy, jaw hanging loosely and sweat streaking down the side of his paling face.

"If I tried, then that's all I can ask of myself. I believe I'm going to succeed too..." Luffy paused, putting his hat back onto his head after admiring it. "Or...I may just be deluding myself..."

“You’re…not afraid to die..?” Koby muttered, his face flashing through different emotions until it settled on a teary determination. "Maybe I can be like that! If I'm willing to risk my life trying like you are, maybe it's possible!"

Both Luffy and her tilted their heads in question, but only Luffy voice out a confused, "Huh?"

"Do you think I can join the Navy?!" Koby didn't seem to even hear Luffy's yelp of 'The Navy?!' as he barrelled through with his thoughts. "We'll end up being enemies, but I always wanted to fight the bad guys in this world. It's been my dream since I was a child to be a navy officer! Do you think I can do it?! Luffy-san, Tsu-san?"

She and Luffy exchanged surprised glances but she shrugged in reply and Luffy said, "How should we know??"

"Well, I'm going to do it!" Koby yelled out, fists clenching tightly. Tsuki stood up slowly, gaping at the younger boy. "I don't have anything to lose now! I don't want to be a miserable cabin boy anymore! It's better to risk my life following my dream than staying here! I'll join the Navy and I'll....and I'll capture Alvida myself!"

"WHO DID YOU SAY YOU WERE GOING TO CAPTURE?" A female voice yelled out on the other side of the dinghy. Tsuki, more instinct than actual thought, flung herself closer to Luffy, barely managing to dodge the splintering pieces of the little boat. "YOU REALLY THOUGHT YOU COULD ESCAPE FROM ME, YOU SNEAKY LITTLE RUNT?"

Tsuki gasped from the ground beside her brother's feet, looking over to see a very large woman with a huge club. Her brain connected her to the voice that was there when their barrel went flying. She was huffy, red-faced, and had a snarl on her face with a crew of men stand behind her acting intimidating. Tsuki wasn't looking forward to any bit of this.

"This is the bounty hunter you hired, Koby? He doesn't look anything like Rororoa Zoro, too bad for you." She smirked, settling her club in her shoulder. "I'll give you one chance to repent, Koby, who is the most beautiful throughout all the seas? Come on, answer me now."

Koby nervously laughed, a response that was more automatic than anything, "Why of course, Lady Alvida, you--"

"Who's that big tough-looking old biddy?” Luffy so very helpfully dished out. The stunned silence that followed was both humorous and insanely frightening for Tsuki. She hurriedly stood behind her brother, taking in how many men the pirate had around her, and touched her knives in her boots and on her hip for comfort.

The horror of Luffy’s actions made all of the pirates yell out their nervous rage. Even timid Koby gripped Luffy’s shoulders.

“Luffy-san, take it back!! Throughout all the seas, Alvida-sama…..” Koby suddenly choked on his words, staring up into Luffy’s bored face. “Alvida-same is…..She is the ugliest of all the hags on the sea!”

Pure terror washed over Koby’s face as he turned to stare at Alvida. Tsuki made a terribly ugly noise, slapping her hand over her mouth just as Luffy laughed and laughed. 

“I..I’m going to join the Navy! And I’m going to beat up pirates for the rest of my life! And I’m most definitely going to catch your lousy ass!” He declared this time to the big ba herself, even with tears making a steady stream down his face.

“Why you little runt--” Alvida hoisted her club over her head, bearing down on the screaming Koby. Tsuki launched herself over, snagging Koby’s collar and hauling him backward.

“Ts-Tsu-san!!” He said, helping her scramble him backward as Luffy jumped forward in the way over her swing. “Luffy-san!!”

“Well said, Koby!!” Luffy braced himself, a wiggle of excitement betraying his real mood.

“Doesn’t matter to me, I’ll put all of you brats in a grave!” She slammed her club onto Luffy’s head. Koby gasped out in horror, jerking in her grasp. She held him tighter, not knowing if he would try and go toward Aldiva or not. 

“That didn’t hurt at all.” Luffy snickered, a grin forming quickly on his face. “Wanna know why? It’s cuz I’m made of rubber!”

“No way, that’s impossible, no one can survive the iron mace! That has to be a devil fruit power!” Alvida’s face was too funny; bulging and red with surprise. Tsuki snorted, forcing Koby up onto his own two feet. The other pirates had finally made their own move toward them, so she took a knife out and crouched down in preparation to fight. Poor Koby squeaked, his head turning between her and Luffy.

“Gum-gum…” Luffy threw back his fist, stretching it to barely past Tsuki’s shoulders. “PISTOL!!!!”

Alvida could barely voice her horror and surprise before Luffy’s fist took her straight out. The pirates stopped in their pursuit of Tsuki and Koby to gather around their captain that was out cold.

“He can’t be human!” 

“He stretched like real rubber would!”

“He beat Alvida-same like it was nothing.”

“He must be a monster!”

Tsuki rolled her eyes, sheathing her knife. Glad she didn’t have to even have her own fight. Luffy straightened up, pointed over to the pirates. The pirates all flinched at his glare and shuffled back.

“Give Koby a new dinghy! He’s going to go join the Navy! And you’ll keep your mouths shut about it too!”

“Luffy-san…” Koby tearfully hiccuped, while the pirates saluted Luffy and scrambled to do what he asked. Tsuki gently patted Koby on the head, smiling at his little sniffles. Luffy just continued to laugh and follow the pirates to the little boat they were hauling to the beach. 

Tsuki made her way to the supply room, which was just a little shack just barely hidden in the tree line. She grabbed a sack, stuffing it with preserved meat, fruit, vegetables while also grabbing a medic supply kit. She took her backpack off, reorganizing her art supplies and clothes to fit the medical kit in there. She found even a knife care kit, so she opened her hip pack that had similar things in there and stuffed it down as much as she could. Hauling ass back to the beach, she scrambled into the boat with less grace than she wished. 

Luffy climbed in afterward, bullying Koby into being the one to send them all off. Tsuki watched the pirates carefully as Koby pushed them out to sea, only relaxing when all of them became dots. She unhooked her packs and let them thump onto the boat, and took off her goggles to hang on her neck.

“Luffy-san, what was that?! How did you do that??” Koby asked, eyes wide in excitement and thirst for knowledge. Tsuki settled and brought out a pencil and her sketchbook to document Luffy’s newest adventure and their little cowardly friend.

She let Luffy’s explanation wash over her, her art sucking all her attention until Koby started talking about the Grand Line.

“They call it the Pirate’s Graveyard too, you know….” He whispered, knees trembling and knocking together. She nodded, thinking, ‘Me too, Koby, me too.’

“That’s why I’m going to have a  super-strong crew ,” Luffy said, not really phased by Koby’s fear. He turned back to Koby, eyes brightening. “What about that pirate hunter guy? What is he like?”

“Roronoa Zoro, the one being held prisoner at a navy base??” Koby inquired.

“He’s been imprisoned, does that mean he’s weak??” She heard more than saw Luffy’s dissatisfaction.

“Are you kidding me?! He’s as terrifying as a demon! You’re not seriously thinking of letting him join your crew?!” Koby stood straight up, hands clutching at his hair. It honestly seemed he was practically vibrating with how fast he started to shake his head.

Luffy grunted an affirmative, smile spreading over his face, “Thought I might let him join if he’s a good guy!”

“You’re being reckless and crazy again!! Tsu-san, please help me with this!” He turned to beg to Tsuki. She only sighed, shaking her head in a way that said ‘I really can’t help you here’. “Noooo….”

“What? He could be a good guy!”

“He’s in a Navy base because he’s a  bad  guy, Luffy-san! No way, no way, absolutely no w--” Koby grunted at Luffy’s fist hitting the top of his head. “Why did you hit me again!?”

“Because I felt like it again!”

Tsuki huffed a laugh, relaxing into the banter between the two boys. ‘This doesn’t seem so bad.’ she mused, finishing the rough sketch of Koby. ‘Doesn’t seem so bad after all.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's the first chapter!! Mostly trying to get my foot in the door tbh
> 
> I don't know how often I'll update but I feel if I have this posted I may just get my ass in gear to actually write stuff
> 
> Tsuki hopes you stay around for her growing up story
> 
> have a great day everyone!


	2. The Demon-like Bounty Hunter

The ocean wasn’t too bad as they sailed on. It was gentle and calm. It didn’t stop Tsuki from keeping herself hunched into the boat for the illusion of safety. She finished the drawing of Koby with a flourish, she had multiple faces ranging from calm to hysterical rage. She thought she had him captured pretty well, especially when he gave her another face to draw after she showed him what she was doing. A bright red, bug-eyed and smile turning up at one corner face, he was completely embarrassed and flattered. ****

Tsu huffed quietly in amusement at the thought that he looked cute, completely flustered like that. She hurriedly drew out his face before she forgot how exactly it looked. She also made sure to draw Luffy as he basked in the pure freedom he has been riding high on, sun catching on his hair peeking from under his hat and scar. He was majestically perched on the bow of the little boat, it seemed fitting for him. The one always ahead of others, the forefront force of nature that never looks behind. ‘Yes…’ she thought, shading Luffy’s face, ‘He fits quite nicely there.’ ****

Koby turned out to be incredibly curious about her, asking her how she met Luffy and anything else he thought of. She was able to write out a lot for him; that she grew up with Luffy, yes she really couldn’t talk, her full name is actually Tsukihime. He got even more flustered at that, wondering if he should call her by that since ‘Tsu’ seems to be too familiar. Tsu patted his head at that, saying it didn’t bother her at all that he called her that. After that they lapsed into a nice quiet together that didn’t feel forced at all. They were all cut off from the silence when Luffy decided to fill it up after a while.

“He’s called a demonic beast huh?” ****

“Are we back on Roronoa Zoro?” Koby let out a little shudder but continued to offer more information. “They call him ‘The Pirate Hunter’, the man who is roaming the seas chopping up men with bounties like a bloodthirsty hound. He’s said to be a demon in human form!!” ****

Tsuki pictured a man with glowing red eyes, snarling fanged mouth and horns protruding from his forehead, comically large with grey skin and no true defining features. Her lips twitched between a frown and a smile, uncertain whether to be amused by it or frightened. So instead she sloppily sketched him out, jotting down notes on whether or not all his teeth would be sharp or just his canines. ****

‘Does he use his clawed hands to fight or does he have human weapons?’, she chuckled, instead of picking she drew a gun in a clawed hand. ****

‘Don’t ‘hmmm’ me, Luffy -san!!” Koby waved his arms around, “He’s a pirate hunter, they don’t mix with pirates at all!!” ****

“Don’t get so heated, Koby! I haven’t decided to recruit him yet! If he’s a good guy, I’ll-” ****

“You said that already and I also already said that he’s not a good guy since he’s been imprisoned!!”

Tsuki usually had a lot of faith in Luffy, she tried not to let it flatter now. So instead of letting them continue arguing, she held up her rough sketch. It was more comical than realistic; wide grinning mouth full of sharp teeth, large floppy ears with horns growing from the top of them, and long-limbed with funny looking guns in his too-large hands and big doe-like eyes. With large bubble letters: ‘Bloodthirsty Demon Roronoa Zoro’ at the top and rough sketches of bodies under his feet. ****

“Tsu-san!!” Koby groaned, sliding back down to the little edge he claimed. Luffy threw back his head and laughed. ****

“That’s more like it, Tsu!!” 

\---

“Finally here!! We made it to the Naval Base!” Luffy announced with a comical pose as he left Tsuki and Koby to tie up the boat, and placed one pack filled with snacks, her sketchbook, and money on her hip. She stuffed her knives and other packs into the storage compartment, not really worried that anyone was going to steal anything from a shabby little boat. “Koby, you are amazing.” ****

“Huh, what do you mean?” He tried to act less flattered than what he was, which was truly short-lived by what Luffy opened his mouth to say. Tsuki settled her goggles back onto her face, the dark tint obscuring her eye color and darkening the town. ****

“You actually got us to our destination!” ****

Koby let out a long-suffering sigh, deflating. “Of course I did, it’s the minimum requirement of sailing, Luffy-san, Tsu-san. You’ll never get to where you want to go by sailing randomly. How can you be a pirate just by floating around?" ****

Tsuki ignored the trickling embarrassment that colored her face pink. Koby patted her shoulder when she went to gesture wildly and in Luffy’s general direction. ****

“You should think about getting a navigator soon, for both yours and Luffy-san’s sake, Tsu-san.” ****

“Oh yeah, that’s what we will do soon!” Luffy blew away Koby’s well-placed concern. “Let’s go eat, I’m starving.” ****

Tsuki poked Koby forward to follow Luffy to a restaurant of his choice, feeling lucky for the fact that she saved up from working at Makino's bar and stealing from Alvida. So she wasn't too worried about not being able to pay for Luffy and his large appetite. She scanned the food booths and stores that lined both sides of the street mentally listing what she'll need to get. ****

Arriving at the restaurant was uneventful and the consumption of food even more so. She added wild hair to the drawing she had of the Demon-Zoro, and more depth to the dead bodies. She stood to go pay the barista when Luffy burped and leaned back to pat his stomach, completely content now with a bursting belly. ****

Tsuki smiled and set down her payment, leaving the change and a little more for a tip. Turning back to the boys only to see people leap away from both of them. She jerked at the startling movement and made her way past the trembling occupants. ****

“Maybe the name ‘Zoro’ is taboo here…” Koby whispered as quietly as he could to Luffy and Tsuki, then louder. “Rumor has it that Captain Morgan is at this base too.” ****

The people once again leaped away from the three of them, gasps echoing through the place. Tsuki urged the boys up out of the chairs and the restaurant, bowing toward all the trembling people. ****

“What a great restaurant, let’s go back there again sometime.” Luffy chortled, not thinking twice about the weird situation. Tsuki sighed, locked eyes with Koby, and pointed to Luffy's head then to the sky. 'What an airhead.' ****

Koby let out a shaky laugh and smile, easing up enough to speak again. “Everyone seems a bit too jumpy, I have a bad feeling about all this. I get the reaction with Zoro’s but...why the captain's name?” ****

“You sure it wasn’t for a joke that they got carried away with?” Luffy said, forcing them to follow him toward the towering Naval base. She reached down to pet a cat as they passed it on the street, ignoring the two boys back and forth again. It let out a purr but allowed her to leave. It didn’t take them long to find the towering Naval base. ****

“Alright, this is the place!” Luffy announced so very helpfully as they all stared at this massive gate. Tsu scoffed, and then made a disgusted sound. “Yeah, you’re right, it is kinda ugly. Go on in, Koby.” ****

“Oh you two,” Koby sniffled, but resolutely ignored them in favor of talking. “I can’t believe I’m finally here, but I don’t know if I’m mentally ready for this, especially after how everyone was acting just by a mere mention of the captain’s name….” ****

Though, Tsu didn’t know if Luffy was actually listening or not as he scaled up the stone wall to look over into a courtyard. ****

“What are you doing, Luffy-san!? Why are you doing this!?” Koby crowed out, sweat again gathering on his forehead and down his chubby cheeks. His hands trembled as he reached out to the older boy, a vain attempt at control. ****

“I wonder if I can see where this demon is!” Luffy’s head moved back and forth. ****

“You can’t just find him by peaking over the fence, he’ll probably be in a prison cell in the base--” He startled back when Luffy landed with a triumphant, “Found him!” ****

“What-? No, it can’t be!” Koby said while being dragged along by Tsu right behind Luffy. ****

“They wouldn’t just leave him out-” She allowed Koby to boost her up beside Luffy while he talked and hopped up by himself, only to lose his grip the moment he saw the man tied to the pole. ****

“Woah there, Koby, what’s wrong?” Luffy turned his head to Koby’s sniffling form. ****

“That bandana and haramaki! That’s definitely Roronoa Zoro!” He scrambled back to his feet. “Can you believe that intimidating aura?!” ****

Tsuki was scanning the tied up man; green sash, green bandana, and green pants. She couldn’t help the pang of disappointment of how he looked, maybe she did put too much emphasis on the demon part of his reputation. She supposed she could color the monster version’s hair green to compensate, that cheered her up. Koby shivered his way back up next to her, knuckles white, and looking nauseated. ****

“Those ropes look easy enough to break. Maybe we should go untie him!” Luffy too casually declared. Tsu….didn’t think that was Luffy’s brightest idea as of yet, but she can’t say she wouldn’t allow him to do whatever he wanted to anyway. ****

“Stop joking around like that!! There is no telling what he’ll do if you do that! He could mess up the whole town and kill us right here!” Koby looked faint, instantaneous sweat pooling down his face. ****

“Ehh, that’s not anything to worry about,” Luffy said, a large grin never flattering from his face. Koby looked so pale that she had no clue how he was still able to hold onto the wall. She adjusted herself enough she could grab ahold of his collar just in case. ****

“Hey, you three on the wall….” A smooth, masculine voice called out. Tsu turned quickly to the source. The man picked his head up to glare at them all, blood caked on his face and dripping from his mouth. Tsu flinched, a tiny one that made her grip Koby’s collar a little tighter. He was covered in absolute filth, tied up and grinning. “Won’t you come over here and untie me? I’ve been up here for nine days already and I’m exhausted.” ****

“Look at that, he’s smiling.” Tsu didn’t have the courage to look over at him and see how Luffy felt about that. She wasn’t afraid of this man, but she felt enough in her gut that he was a dangerous man. ****

“No way, you can’t survive with him on his crew! Much less Tsu-san!” She tried not to be too ruffled by what Koby said because he was right. This is the type of man she would try to slink by unnoticed if she wasn’t near one of her boys.

“I’ll even repay you, something worth your while. Hunting down a fugitive and giving you the money wouldn’t be a big deal for me to do.” The blood dripped from the movement of him talking. “I’m not lying, I’m a man of my word.” ****

“Lu-Luffy-san, don’t do it! Don’t let him trick you with his words! If you free him, he’ll kill us and run off!” Koby wailed, clutching tighter onto the wall. So she decided to let him go to slap her hand on the back of his head, huffing at his pained whine. ‘He’s so damn pessimistic!’ ****

“He couldn’t. I wouldn’t let him, because I’m strong.” Luffy’s smile was firmly in place, even at the disbelieving sound from Roronoa and distressed sounds from Koby. She let her own heart settle, content with Luffy’s declaration. A clunking sound made all three turn their heads to the right, only to see a ladder leaning against the wall and a little girl climbing up to them. Shushing them quite firmly. Tsuki smushed down her smile at that, even as the little girl threw a rope down to get into the plaza. ****

."Woah! Don’t do it!” Koby yelled to the girl, who only ignored him getting closer to the man. “Luffy-san, Tsu-san, somebody stop her! She’ll be killed!” ****

“Do it yourself,” Luffy said, no care whatsoever. Tsu had to agree, if he wanted to stop her, he had every right to do just that. But Tsu didn't see the harm in letting her go, she obviously wanted to go and the man was tied up. She saw no harm in it. ****

“What?” Roronoa said, his tone seemed to be a bit gentler, though Tsu couldn’t be certain since she didn’t know him. ****

“You must be hungry, onii-san. I made some onigiri for you!” Her high voice chirped eagerly. ****

“Do you seriously wanna get killed, you pipsqueak? Get lost.” He dismissed her as quickly as possible, his eyes shadowed from how far Tsu was from him. It frustrated her that she couldn’t tell how he was actually feeling. ****

“But you haven’t eaten anything this whole time. Here!” Tsu saw her arms move up, displaying something to the demon-man. “This is my first time for onigiri but I worked really really hard to make them!” ****

Tsu saw his head flinch up, letting her glimpse surprised eyes, that quickly turned harsher. “I ain’t hungry. Get the hell outta here!” ****

“But…” the girl tried to protest against his harsh rebuff, a gate opening on the side of that plaza with three figures entering. ****

“I don’t want them! Don’t make me kick your ass!” He snarled out, just as a blonde hair boy and 2 marine officers came closer. ****

“Now, look at you, you seem energetic. It’s not really nice to bully little kids, Roronoa Zoro.” A snobby, weaselly voice came from the blonde-haired man. Tsu felt her lips curl instantly, turning her eyes to this man-boy swagger his way closer to Roronoa. “I might have to report that to my father.” ****

“Another weird guy?” Luffy’s voice pitched a bit higher, signaling his peaking interest. ****

“Oh, he must be with the navy, thank goodness. She’ll be safe now.” Koby let out a long sigh, his grip less tense now. She wished she could say the world wasn’t so black and white, though she supposed he would find out eventually in the world. ****

“Well, if it isn’t the captain's idiot son living off his daddy’s wealth and power.” Roronoa sneered. ****

“Did you really just call me that?! A man in your position should really mind his tongue, or he could lose it. My father is a marine lieutenant!” The ‘idiot son’ didn’t take too kindly being called a name right to his face. Tsu’s dislike grew the longer the blonde man talked, she hated people who used their power like that. ****

He turned to the little girl right after his snobbish declaration, snatching one onigiri from her hands. “Hello, little girl, these rice balls look pretty tasty, did you bring them for me?” ****

“No wait, give it back!” the girl yelled, how upset she was pretty clear at how fast and firmly she protested against him taking the food. Though it was cut short by the idiots disgusting coughing from taking a bite from the onigiri. ****

“Too damn sweet! They are full of sugar! They are supposed to be seasoned with salt, not sugar!” He was screaming, spitting bits of rice out, and wiping his mouth. Tsu felt the heat build in her chest and her palms get sweaty, she really didn’t like this man. ****

“But...I thought...they would taste better sweet….” She said, immensely dejected at the whole situation. The man threw down the onigiri in his hand away and then swiped the other one in her hand right to the ground by their feet.

“They are completely inedible! Take this, and this and this!!” He growled out at the girl, foot smashing the onigiri into the ground at every ‘this’, completely disregarding the girl's desperate pleas to stop. Tsu felt her breath catch in her throat, her forehead coming down to the wall and sweat slipping down her neck and back. The sweat was cold on her overheating skin as everything fuzzed out of importance. She came back to herself when she felt her hands loosen from the wall just as the man demanded someone throw the girl. ****

Tsu forced herself to look up again while taking deep breaths, realizing Luffy’s hand was under her left arm to steady her. She gently shook it off, but not before she squeezed his hand between her arm and ribs to show her thanks. ****

“I’m ordering you to throw her over the damn wall! Are you not going to follow them? Don’t make me tell my old man!” He had the marine by the collar as he shouted, with the marine replying that he would do it right away. ****

Tsu gasped out, seeing the man curl the girl and launch her across the yard and over their heads. Tsu pushed herself off the wall, getting a lot of air, and snatched her to her chest. She curled around the girl but ended up not needing to as Luffy caught her before she hit the ground. Luffy set her feet first on the ground, but Tsu sank to her knees and gently put the girl down. She was crying, snot not so gracefully falling down her face. Koby began to fuss over the girl, but Tsu noticed Luffy wasn’t next to her anymore. She scrambled to her feet and up the wall, straddling it this time to hear better. ****

“You’re still here? Better not let that Helmeppo’s father catch you out here with me.” Roronoa grouched, shifting a little in the tight ropes. ****

“Oh, yeah? Hm, I’m looking for good people to join my pirate crew.” Luffy side-eyed the man who scoffed at the word pirate. ****

“Heh! So you just gave up on life and became a crook instead huh? I won’t lower myself like that.” He spat at Luffy, who frowned. ****

“Becoming a pirate is my dream, there’s nothing wrong with being one!” ****

“Ohhh? Don’t tell me you’re thinking I’ll join you if you set me free? Forcing me to join seems like a very pirate thing to do.” Roronoa chuckled. Tsu had to give him a little credit for trying to trap Luffy in a word game but knew from experience how Luffy does not play anything like that. ****

“I haven’t made up my mind yet.” Luffy adjusted his hat and smiled. “You have a pretty bad reputation after all.” ****

“A bad reputation, huh?” The bloodied demon grinned again at that especially. Tsu felt another shiver down her spine, he was definitely a man she wouldn’t want to piss off. “Doesn’t matter, I don’t go for those types of deals. I’ve got my own plans for what my future will be. I’m going to survive, even without your help. All I need to do is last a whole month like this, then I’m a free man! That little bastard gave his word.” ****

Tsu had to withhold a wince at that, she wouldn’t trust that sniveling, cocky boy further than she could throw him. She realized almost instantly that this man placed a lot of weight on people’s words. ‘Honorable.’ She let herself hold onto the surprise she felt at that. ‘An honorable demon, how interesting.’ ****

“I’m going to do what I need to do to survive that long, and then I’ll be free to pursue my dreams again.” Anticipation widened the bloodied grin on his face, though this time Tsu didn’t feel the dread that had come with that before. ****

“Hm, I see..” Luffy settled his hands on his hips in a traditional power pose, back toward her. So she could only hear the smile in his voice as he said, “I don’t think I would be able to last a week without food.” ****

“See, that’s where we are different. I’ve got more spirit than you. Do find someone else to join your ruffian crew.” Roronoa dismissed Luffy, who only shrugged and turned around to walk away only to be stopped again by the demon-man. “Wait. Could you pick that up for me?” ****

Both she and Luffy glanced down to the smudged onigiri, though only Luffy bent down to gather it and replied, “You’re going to eat this? It’s mostly a mud ball now. Though I suppose you can’t be picky with food when you’re hungry…” ****

“Just shut up and give it all to me so I can eat it!” Luffy shrugged and let the muddy rice land in his mouth. Roronoa’s face contorted in distaste and he forcibly swallowed it all down. ****

“See, I told you. Were you trying to off yourself?” ****

Roronoa coughed, shuddering. “Tell...tell that kid...make sure to tell her that it was delicious and that I ate it all.” ****

Tsu let her head fall back and stared up at the sky with Luffy’s laughter settling over the plaza. ‘Oh, Roronoa Zoro, look how kind you are underneath all that gruff. You made Luffy like you.’ Tsu huffed her signature air laugh, sliding back down to the ground, noticing that Koby and the girl were missing. She wasn’t worried when she saw footprints walking back toward the town. Luffy was by her side in a flash, a wide grin on his face. ****

“He’s interesting, don’t you think, Tsu-chan?” Tsu just let her hand adjust his hat on his head then fell to his hand to pull him toward the town in search of Koby and the girl. Which turned out to be easier than she thought when Koby waved them over from an alleyway. ****

“My name is Rika! Thank you so much for catching me, Luffy-onii-san and Tsuki-onee-chan!” Rika bowed her thanks. Tsu ruffled her bangs while waving the gratitude away with the other hand. ****

“He ate your onigiri you made him,” Luffy said, settling himself onto a barrel by the steps they all gathered at. ****

“He really did!?” Rika’s eyes sparkled at that, hands clapping together. ****

“Yep, every last bit of it!” ****

“Ohh I’m so happy!!” She was wiggling with it too. Tsu thought it was adorable. ****

“Is Roronoa really as bad as the rumors say?” Koby’s voice was soft as he looked at Tsu then to Luffy, eyebrows furrowed and eyes shadowed. Tsu felt her heart tug, so she also patted his head to comfort him. She leaned back onto the barrel next to Luffy’s barrel, crossing her arms and sighing. ****

“No he isn’t!” Rika was firm, hands clenched and on her hips. “Onii-san didn’t do anything wrong at all. The town is afraid of him for no reason! He was tied up ‘cause of me…” ****

“What do you mean by that?” Luffy leaned forward to look at Rika’s face. ****

“It’s all because Helmeppo has these really mean dogs and they attacked me. Zoro-nii saved me by killing the dogs! Those dogs were running around loose and scaring everyone in town!” Rika said, hands sliding behind her back to grip each other. ****

“So you’re saying Zoro is only crucified up there because he killed that idiot son's rampaging dog?” Luffy simplified it. ****

“Yes! That’s basically it! It’s been almost three weeks since then.” She sighed, hands coming to rub the tears forming in her eyes away. ****

“That makes sense...Roronoa seems to have a bit of a temper, but he has only gone after people with bounties on their heads. Chasing down fugitives isn’t a crime, nobody would get thrown into prison for that.” Koby nodded, sharing the girl's dejection. Though Tsu supposed it was more the fact he was proven wrong about the navy’s moral compass. ****

Rika settled herself next to Koby on the stairs, curling around her knees, “The only bad ones around here are the Morgans! Captain Morgan has put people to death for defying him in any way, so everyone is afraid of both of them.” ****

They were interrupted by obnoxious laughter in the street and the familiar voice of Helmeppo himself. “Who dares raise their head!? I’ll tell my father if you do!” ****

Tsu and the others popped their heads out from the side of the building to see Helmeppo strutting down the street as others bow fully to the ground. Tsu let out a little growl at the powerplay, stepping out into the street with Luffy by her side. ****

“Tsu-san, Luffy-san! What are you doing?” Koby hissed from behind the corner, a hand waving toward them. ****

“I’ve been pretty bored lately, so I think I’ll make an example out of Zoro and execute him tomorrow. Everyone, look forward to it!” Helmeppo laughed, arms spreading wide. Tsu felt her back straighten and her own hiss leave her mouth as she stepped forward. Luffy shifts faster than her though, flying at Helmeppo and smashing his fist into his face. The power behind the strike threw the arrogant man over 5ft backward and to the ground. Tsu let a smirk curl at her lips, her own rage quelling at the sight. ****

Helmeppo grasped his face while his guards rushed to help him back to his feet, “What the hell do you think you’re doing!?” ****

“Luffy-san, please stop!” Koby rushed past her to lock around Luffy, a valiant attempt to hold back her powerhouse of a brother. ****

“You bastard, you’re scum!” Luffy spat at Helmeppo, struggling a bit with Koby. Tsu marched over, not really sure if she should help Koby in damage control or let Luffy lose again. She honestly was leaning toward letting him rain hell upon this little spoiled brat. ****

“You know I’m Captain Morgan’s son! Are you trying to mess with the marines?!” Helmeppo simpered out, holding his sleeve to his bleeding nose. ****

“And what about it!!” Luffy raged. But Tsu paused in her steps to reach down and grab Luffy's hat off the ground, dusting it off and holding it reverently. This was probably best she did that so it wouldn’t get trampled in the scuffling. ****

“Calm down, Luffy-san, are you trying to get on the navy’s bad side?!” Koby yelped out, sweat pouring down his face and his skinny arms flexing hard to keep a hold on Luffy. ****

“You made a promise to him that it would be a month-long sentence!” Luffy said, muscles twitching and flexing around Koby’s tight hold. ****

“Where the hell did you hear that! It was a complete joke, he’s a stupid beast to actually believe that!” Helmeppo flinched back at Luffy’s replying snarl. ****

“I’ve made up my mind now, you two! I’m going to have Zoro join my crew!” Luffy’s declaration didn’t surprise her at all. He already was eyeing him the moment Zoro showed his kindness by eating the rice ball that was more mud than anything edible. ****

She heard the twittering of all the townsfolk that were witnessing the disaster in the making, all horrified and unbelieving and clutching at one another.

“Tsu-san, help me calm Luffy-san down!! These are marines he’s messing with!” Koby struggled heavily, though Luffy wasn’t fully trying to get away anymore. Tsu decidedly ignored him in favor of glaring at the asshole in front of them that was leaning heavily into his guards' arms. ****

“We don’t care!” Luffy said for them both, “A bastard is a bastard no matter his titles!” ****

“You dared to actually hit me?! My father hasn’t even laid a hand on me even! I’m really going to tell him about this!!” He yelled, “I’m going to have him execute you!” ****

The gasping and horror from the other people around them intensified as they all began flinching back and trembling. Tsu ignored them in favor of watching Helmeppo become tearier and tearier as it all went on. She took a lot of joy in that. ****

‘Wow, not man enough to fight your own battles, huh?’ Tsu sneered as Luffy went, “Don’t go crying to daddy!! Face me like a man!” ****

“Oh Luffy-san, please stop this!” Koby desperately pleaded, only loosening up when Helmeppo was dragged away by his escorts, yelling threats from over his shoulder. Luffy shook himself, and let her place his hat back on his head. ****

“It’s completely meaningless to hit people like him again,” Luffy said, adjusting his hat. ****

“He really just ran away, straight to tattle to his father.” Koby was unimpressed looking at the retreating backs. Tsu sniffed and flicked her head, only realizing how silly that was when she remembered she cut her hair short for the sea travel. ****

“Luffy-nii, you were so cool!!” Rika squeaked excitedly, “I was very scared but you made me feel so much better!” ****

“Ha! Really? Then I should have given him a few more whacks, just for you!” Tsu chuckled at Luffy, seeing the hero admiration sparkle even more from Rika’s eyes. ****

“Rika get your butt back over here! Don’t go talking to them like that! They’ll think he’s your friend and execute you too!” A woman shouted at Rika as she grabbed her arm and dragged her away. Tsu can only wince in sympathy at the tongue lashing. ****

“But they all are good people, Mom, and that means Zoro-nii too!” Rika was ushered into a home, not flattering once in her argument. ****

“Don’t be silly saying all that right now! You went back to that execution plaza after I told you not to, didn’t you?!” Her mom scolded at her, rolling right over Rika’s yelps of denial. “Hurry back into the house now, we don’t want to be outside when they come for those people.” ****

Rika’s face was sad as the door closed them off from each other, even at their small waves to her. Koby did a one-eighty after the door was shut, rounding on to both of them, “They won’t let you get away with this! We’re going to be in so much trouble! He’ll be sending marines after us! What am I going to do?!” ****

“We’ll deal with it as it comes to us. I need to go talk to Zoro now.” Luffy marched his way back toward the marine base. Leaving her behind to gather up the wobbly Koby and let him lean on her as he blubbered about impending doom and his future already shattered in front of him. ****

Tsu let his whimpers wash over her as she steadily followed Luffy’s back. ‘Maybe I should have been the one to hold him back, just for Koby’s sake…’ ****

Those thoughts were instantly drowned out by the cowering townsfolk and Zoro’s bloodied grin that formed around his honor. 

‘No, I’m absolutely certain I did the right thing.’ She nodded to herself, the base looming even more as they got closer. Heart hammering against her chest, she let another smile cross her face, half bitter and half anticipation. ‘Yeah, let’s not start regretting our decisions now, Tsuki, we’re only just beginning.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No beta, we die like men
> 
> I hope you enjoyed a little more of Tsu!
> 
> Have a great day everyone!


	3. Getting the Ball Rolling

Tsu had to curse Luffy’s speed and Koby’s wobbly knees. She understood it, but it was a frustration she didn’t want to deal with at this second when she knew that Luffy could get into even more trouble when she’s not looking. Which honestly is saying something when she usually just lets him do what he wants because it ends up all around hysterical.

She was cursing that old habit now as her brain fires off all the terrible things the Navy could do to them _already_ without them, specifically Luffy, having done anything worthwhile. All the things the Navy could do to Koby who only admired them and wished to be part of.

Tsu hoped that Luffy was just thinking of untying the demon man and busting ass back to the boat, but she wasn’t putting much faith in that plan. That plan is the one she _wants_ but knows she probably won’t get. She picked up the pace, urging her little friend to move a bit faster because he had been greatly slowing her down. He finally snapped out of his little trance and matched pace with her.

“Oh, I really hope Luffy-san isn’t doing anything to shake the tree even more.” He huffed, Tsu, let loose a hissing sigh that made him wince. “Yeah, you’re right, he’s probably already doing something.”

Tsu readjusted her goggles, she already felt the itching that signaled it has been on her face for too long. But even with no one around, except Koby who had his fill of her own eyes, she couldn’t make herself take it off fully. Still feeling far too exposed in this world without her goggles. She tightened it just a bit more and hopped onto and over the fence with her hand assisting Koby up and over as well. 

Tsu ran over to Roronoa but flinched back at his bloodshot glare and the absolute god awful smell of a body that has been unwashed for a while. She didn’t want to seem rude by plugging her nose, but God forgive her for her eyes tearing up. She hated this the most about no bathing on the sea. If he’s going to be part of their crew, she's dunking him in the ocean herself and scrubbing him down as she did to Luffy until he was 13. She heard an odd rumbling sound like rocks hitting the ground but decided to ignore it in favor of the discussion happening in front of her.

“You two were with that weird kid, right? If you’re looking for him he went into the base.” He grunted out, still glaring at her and Koby. Tsu had only a moment to digest the fact that this man also had _green hair_. It brought her thrilling amusement because she was going to make her little monster’s hair green because of his color scheme. She wondered if he picked green clothes just because of his hair. She swallowed a laugh at that.

“He’s inside the base!? He’s so hot-headed and reckless.” Koby said, shoulders slumping. Tsu also groaned coming back to the actual worry at hand, sinking into a squat with her head in her hands, thoughts racing, _‘If he already ran in there, my only choice is to get this man out of his ropes and get the hell out of here when Luffy comes back.’_

“Yeah, I’ve noticed that. Who is he anyway…” Roronoa asked, trailing off when both Koby and Tsu stepped forward to untie him at the same time. She and Koby shared a smile for their similar thought process. “Oi! Both of _you_ are being reckless now! Cut it out, if they find out what you’re doing they’ll kill you!”

“They imprisoned you _unfairly_ , you should have never been arrested in the first place. I can’t stand seeing the Navy act so immorally!” Koby said firmly, struggling with the rope. Tsu started sweating in sudden frustration, realizing how much of an idiot she was for leaving her _knives_ in their stupid little boat. “I’m going to be an honorable marine! Just like how Luffy is determined to be the Pirate King!”

Tsu banged her head on the arm post, her cheeks burning with her humiliation and despair, even though her fingers still tugged at the knots. ‘ _I could have gotten him out in_ **_two seconds flat_ ** _with my damn knives!! Why, why?!’_

“Pirate King?! You have to be joking.” Tsuki picked up her head to glare at the demon-man herself and slapped him on his ribs. He startled at that and Koby laughed.

“Yeah, I was shocked too and got a nice good knock on my head for it as well. Tsukihime-san is quite adamant about her support and Luffy-san is steady fast in his dream. Luffy-san will succeed or die trying. That’s how he is!” Koby had raw respect in his tone, even though his wording made her shudder. 

The tall tale crack of 2 guns echoed through the courtyard. Tsu jerked down to her knees, burning pain blooming across her left thigh. She snapped her head over when she heard the thump of a body hit the ground. Tsu knew she shouldn’t be as startled as she was seeing Koby on the ground with blood seeping across his shoulder and the dirt but she couldn’t help it. She quickly looked down at her thigh and saw that it was a graze. It damaged her pants and left a nasty looking bleeding line on the side. It wasn’t anything life-threatening if she bandaged it quickly, but Koby’s injury looked bad.

Tsu made her way over to Koby, hunkered down but jerked back at Koby’s scream, her thigh instantly protesting. “I’ve been shot! Blood! My blood! I’m bleeding! I’m gonna diieeeeeeee!!”

Tsu ignored what seemed to be a relieved sigh from Roronoa and snatched a handful of handkerchiefs she keeps with her snacks to wipe her fingers and face with. She folded two together and pressed it down on Koby’s shoulder, also ignoring his whimper when she grabbed his other hand to keep the pressure on his own wound.

“Are you two alright…? It seems like you both are alive at least.” Tsu absently nodded to his question, placing rectangle-shaped handkerchiefs onto her wound and tying a loose one to put pressure on it without her hands. It pulsed something fierce, but nothing close to the beatings she had when she was younger and when Luffy and all of them tumbled with those bandits that caught the whole garbage dump on fire. “You two better run as fast as you can, they’re going to be on their way down now.”

Tsu shook her head just as Koby sniffled out through his pained whimpers, “No!! We’ve got to set you free as fast and as soon as possible!”

Tsu wobbled back up to her knees and started to help Koby up, still berating herself for forgetting her knives and her medical kit in the boat and also mourning her cute little handkerchiefs that she’s going to have to throw away now.

“There is no need for you two to do this. I can’t escape this, I have only ten or so days left! Hurry and leav--” He stopped at Tsu's little growl and Koby’s responding groan at sitting up.

“They’re not going to set you free because they are going to execute you in _three days_!!” Koby yelled at the stubborn green-haired man. Tsu grabbed Koby’s glasses as they crawled over. She put it gently on his face, adjusting it to his comfort.

“What?! That idiot gave me his word that if I survived a month, he’d free me!” Roroanoa looked furious and surprised, his muscles tensing in his ropes. Her and Koby struggled up to their feet and over closer to Roronoa again. Sweat poured down Koby’s rapidly paling face and she felt sweat gather on her forehead and underneath the goggles, the only evidence of her own pain.

“He _never_ intended to honor your agreement!” Koby panted, both of them leaning against each other to shuffle toward Roronoa. “Luffy-san and Tsu-san got angry! Luffy-san even _punched_ him on your behalf, because Helmeppo toyed with you and laughed at you!”

“He...he did what?” Stunned is the only way to describe Roronoa. Tsu felt satisfaction from that, and a sense of pride because of how her brother acted on others’ behalf. 

“The navy is Luffy-san’s enemy now, and they won’t let you off either for this.” Tsu had to let him down again because of his injury, any movement only amplifying his pain. “Please after...after we release you, please help rescue Luffy-san! Neither I or Tsu-san will force you into piracy, but Luffy-san….he...he saved my life!”

Tsuki made her way back to the knots keeping Roronoa secure, letting Koby continue talking. “Luffy-san is strong! He’s the only one that can save you and I think now you are the only one that can save him. If you two team up, the three of you can escape town for your safety!”

Tsu’s frustration was building again at the pulsing pain in her thigh and the knots that would not become undone fast enough to get him out of his imprisonment. ‘ _I’m never leaving my knives behind again, I’m never leaving my knives behind again,’_ she chanted, flinching in her pursuit of Roronoas freedom at the shouting of the marines.

They all turned to the marines that held up guns pointing toward them all. Tsu felt the chill of cold sweat down her spine and the rush that both cleared and fogged her brain. She tried to think of how to get out of this, and nothing in her mind worked. She couldn’t run because she would only be shot in the back and that is _definitely_ not how she wanted to die. She couldn’t pick up Koby and run ‘cause that would end up with bullets in both their backs. She didn’t even know if throwing herself in front of Koby would save him or give him enough time to run. No plans could save this green-haired demon, no plans could save her Koby and no plans could save her with any sort of honor. 

“Surround the base! If that straw hat rascal escapes, all of you will be sorry!!” The towering man she could only assume was Captain Morgan with his over-lording toward the other marines. He set his eyes on the three of them, she felt dread drop in her stomach like lead. “You four can’t be simple outlaws. Are you all planning a coup together against me?!”

Tsu almost dropped back to her knees at the mad man’s paranoia. _‘Maybe if you weren’t such a bastard you wouldn’t have to worry about political overthrows from civilians!!’_

Roronoa replied with a snarl, “I have always fought alone. Unlike arrogant bastards who use soldiers as little cronies!!”

She had to wonder if he was just being overly prideful or intentionally asshole-ish at this point because nothing he was going to say to this mad man was going to change his mind that they all were working together to take him down, especially after the insult that rolled with that lonesome warrior spiel. Tsu trembled but she grabbed Koby again and yanked him up and behind her, taking a chance with at least one stupid plan.

“Tsu-san! What?!” She reached behind her and dug her fingernails into his skin to shut him up. He yelped but stopped wiggling, and leaned against her side. She was afraid of him losing more blood, but she couldn’t do much about that now.

“Roronoa Zoro! I’ve heard your name for a while now. Peasants and outlaws may tremble at your name but you are no match for me who is the Great One! Before my authority, you’re just complete garbage. Aim!”

_‘My God, this man just wants to get the last word in doesn’t he?’_ Tsu thought a bit hysterically, as the guns raised once again, heart thumping wildly _‘This is not where I want to die. Where is Luffy?! I wanted to see Ace again._ **_I wanted to see Ace again!_ ** _’_

“FIRE!” 

Tsu sucked in a breath and braced herself, knowing that it meant nothing in the face of bullets. Her fear was powerful but miraculously short-lived as Luffy appeared before them all in his rubber glory, taking the bullets in full blast. Stray ones hit the ground to the side but Luffy took on the most important ones. The absolute relief she felt was matched with the horror that came from both Koby and the demon. Koby leaned against her so heavily that she grunted and they tumbled to the ground in a pile.

“It’s no use! Bullets can’t hurt me!!” Luffy was gleeful as he sent back the bullets, marines ducking for cover with panicked yells. “Didn’t I tell you I was strong?”

“What….what are you!?!” 

“I’m Monkey D. Luffy! The man who’s gonna be King of the Pirates!” Luffy declared for all the execution plaza to hear, sending a thumbs up to the three of them. Tsu forced her body not to relax from the relief she felt when Luffy landed in front of them, they weren’t out of the woods yet. She shakily got herself up, swaying and wincing at the wound on her thigh.

“ _King of the Pirates?!_ Do you have any idea what that _actually_ means?!” Tsu was too tired and unbalanced to aim a kick at Roronoa for his cynical questioning, especially after Koby’s own explanation. Luffy only laughed good-naturedly in response.

“King of the Pirates is King of the Pirates. What other meaning could there be for that?” Luffy grinned, shoving three swords toward the demon. “Anyway, which one is your treasured Katana? I couldn’t tell, so I brought all of them!”

“All three are mine. I use Santoryu.” Roronoa replied, wiggling around in the ropes. Tsu realized she should probably move over there to help. Luffy looked at her and shook her head. She paused and wondered what he was playing at. _‘Doesn’t he want this guy on their crew?!’_ she thought, a bit flabbergasted at him stopping her from untying him.

Luffy hummed in contemplation, “Well, you’ll take them right? If we fight together now, it’ll make you a government-defying criminal. Of course, you could obey the law and die here instead if that’s what you prefer.”

Tsu had to take a moment to digest the hard bargain her brother said without missing a beat in his cheerfully teasing tone. _‘Brutal, yet effective, I guess,’_ Tsu thought, a bubble of morbid admiration for her brothers’ sly brilliance.

“Are you the son of a devil?!” Roronoa sneered, though he seemed amused by Luffy. “Well, whatever...I don’t accept dying here, so why don’t I just accede to your bargain and become your pirate!”

“Hurray!! So you’ll join my crew?! Wooooo-hoooo, this is great, Tsu!! We have another companion!” Luffy hooted out his excitement. Tsu really, _really_ wanted to celebrate with him but she was also too aware of the chittering of the navy over to the side and limped over to Zoro as he snarled at Luffy.

“Okay, I get it!! Hurry up and untie these stupid ropes already!” Tsu ended up right next to him reaching for the knots just as he finished his urging. Luffy snapped back to them and gently put down the swords to come to help her. Tsu scowled at the knots that still were hard to untie, once again scolding herself for leaving her knives in the boat. Which Luffy thought of at the same time.

“Tsu-chan, where are your knives?” He asked, bewildered, still struggling with his own knots. Tsu slumped over, ears starting to burn along with the back of her neck with humiliation. “Welp! We’ll do better next time. Damn, why are these knots so hard to untie!”

Her head shot up, hands flattering in their tugging, _‘Next time?!?! There will be a next time in doing something like this?! Hell no!’_ But her thoughts stopped as she looked to the navy starting to them, her fingers resuming and becoming more frantic.

They were interrupted by Koby screaming out, “Tsu-san, Luffy, Zoro, watch ouuutttt!!” 

Her breath caught as Zoro and Luffy bickered, more like Zoro was yelling to hurry up and Luffy whining about needing time. Tsu let out a sharp whistle as she loosened his arm finally, and seconds after, Luffy got his other arm out. She realized he was still tied by the torso and felt her soul start leaving her body because they didn’t have any time left.

“No matter who they are, everyone who defies me must be killed!!”

“My swords! Give me my swords!!”

“Luffy, Tsu-san!!”

_‘Oh my god, his swords, I’m so not good at this thinking under pressure thing.’_ Tsu thought as Luffy threw Zoro his weapons, watching in awe at how _quickly_ Zoro unsheathed his swords, cut through the rope, and stopped multiple marines. He cut an intimidating picture with three swords on his person, each stopping multiple people, blood dripping down his face, bandana hiding his eyes. She felt goosebumps scatter up her arms and down her spine, _‘This man….he’s going to be something else.’_

“Wow!! He’s so cool!” Luffy said, with an aura of admiration. Tsu took a step back and then kneeled, wincing at the sharp pain that has come back into her awareness. She glanced down, gulped, and hurriedly looked back up to try to not face reality. ‘ _That’s a lot more blood than I thought. I should really take care of that.’_

“Move and you’re dead.” He rumbled from behind a sword, marines yelping in fear his only answer. He turned his intense eyes back to Luffy. “I’ll be your pirate, I gave you my word on that. I’m now officially an outlaw that I’ve fought the navy. But you listen here, I’m only going to fulfill my _ambition_.”

“Ambition?” Luffy inquired, his hand readjusting his hat as he stared Zoro down. Tsu started to feel woozy, now hyper-aware of the blaring sun, and the pain that kept getting worse the more she tried not to think about it. She shoved her hand back into her pack and grabbed another handkerchief and pressed it on her thigh, wincing. She felt Koby shuffling toward her, again settling by her side. She saw him still pressing his wound, she could tell it was finally slowing for him.

“To be the world’s greatest swordsman! As long as my name is spread across the world, it doesn’t matter if it is clean or not. Good guy, bad guy, no longer matters.” Zoro’s eyes burned, Tsu not even being on the receiving end of it felt her chest tighten and legs tremble. “If I wind up having to give up my dream because of _you,_ you better accept responsibility and cut your stomach open to apologize to me!!” 

Tsu squeaked, horrified at that thought, _‘Oh my god, what have we just stepped into, Luffy?’_

“Ohoh, world’s greatest swordsman? That’s great. It fits just right to be in the King of Pirates crew. Anything less of the _greatest_ swordsman would make me look bad. It would be embarrassing to me if you couldn’t accomplish something that small.” Luffy grinned, easily accepting Zoro’s own bargain. Tsu was even more horrified, having her brother stake his life on another unpredictable thing.

“Heh, you sure talk big.” She couldn’t tell if he was sneering or grinning, she was too preoccupied with the thought of her Luffy gutting himself because he didn’t think the promise through.

“What the hell are all you standing around for?! Hack them all into mince-meat!” Captain Morgan screamed from the other side of the court. Tsu flinched so hard she accidentally gave herself minor whiplash. 

“Duck, Zoro!” Luffy geared himself up for a kick. “Gum-gum whip!!”

Zoro hunched down, quickly, as all the marines gathered there were swept up by her brothers extending leg. They flew, scattering hard in the dirt away from her little group. 

“Wow, he’s incredible,” Koby said, admiring through his pain. Tsu let out an amused huff at the boy, ‘ _Maybe you should be more worried about yourself than how cool Lu is, Ko-chan.’_

“What the hell even are you?” Zoro seemed to be really good at talking around his sword. Tsu wondered if he had to practice and then had to force down a wobbling smile at the picture of a very frustrated green-haired man slurring his words around a sword, trying to get bandits to understand him. As well as him practicing while he’s alone to get his words just right. Tsu noted to herself that she really needs to draw a picture of that.

“I’m a rubber man!” Luffy said, setting his foot back down on the ground, tapping it.

“Rubber man??” Zoro said, not quite understanding.

“I ate the Gum-Gum Fruit, so it made me rubber!” Luffy chuckled, Zoro uselessly echoing him. Tsu patted Koby on the knee to stop him from explaining, motioning to herself then waving her hand away from herself. Koby had to take a second to figure out what she was trying to say, brow furrowed.

“Oh! You’ll tell Zoro...later?” He fumbled a bit at the end, but she smiled brightly at him, goggles rising up with the movement. He relaxed as he realized he got it right. “Alright, Tsu-san, you can do that.”

As they talked, Tsu could hear the marines yelping their fear of fighting both a rubber man and a demon.

“This is a direct order. All those cowards who were just sprouting a weakness…..will shoot yourselves in the head!” Captain Morgan’s voice cut through all the chatter and silenced his marines into horrified silence. Tsu’s jaw dropped as she heard him then she gasped when she saw the marines put a gun to their heads.

All of the boys surrounding her startled as they witnessed the same thing, all equally horrified.

“What the hell do those dumbass marines think they are doing?!?!” Zoro dropped down into a readying position. Though, in a way that always still startled Tsu, Luffy was already running forward to the marines. The marines startled, guns now pointed away from them as Luffy threw himself in front of Captain Morgan.

“I’m the navy’s worst enemy! Try executing me if you have the guts to do it yourself!” Luffy smashed his fist into the man’s axe hand. She could almost imagine feeling the impact with the dull ringing that echoed.

From the corner of her eye, she could see Zoro settling back to stand straight with him taking the sword from his mouth out. She also felt Koby kneel up, take a deep breath, and then yell, “LUFFY-SAN! CRUSH THIS LOUSY NAVY!!”

Tsu reached out and pushed him back down, dizzy herself from his yelling. She’ll need to get them both to a doctor just to make sure they are doing okay. Tsu felt her own bleeding has stopped but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t need stitches or better gauze. 

“Rankless and low-status people like you have no right to defy anything I say! I’ll teach you to respect your betters!!” The blonde-haired man yelled out, throwing away his captain coat. She did have to say that she didn’t pay much attention to him even though she should have, seeing as he has a freakin’ axe as his hand. 

‘ _How….how does that even work?? How does he do ANYTHING with that type of body modification?’_ she thought as her brain finally grasped at what she has been ignoring all along. ‘ _That honestly doesn’t seem attractive? Can he even….can he even roll the toilet paper up to wipe?! DOES HE CUT HIS FOOD WITH THIS AXE?!’_

I am Navy Captain ‘Axe-Hand’ Morgan!” He swung his axe hand back, from what she could see his face was scrunched and bulging veins that signaled his rage. _‘How unoriginal,’_ Tsu drolled, looking down to her thigh again and peeling back her makeshift bandaging. She winced but let out a sigh at the clotting she saw. 

“My name is Luffy! Nice to meetcha!!” Tsu let her lips curl up into a smile, though it was short-lived as she watched Morgan swing his axe-hand around and shattered the ground over a 10-foot distance.

“The ground broke just like that!” Koby yelped out as he scrambled back in fear. She thought both herself and Koby were rightly horrified at that, even as Luffy slammed his feet into that man's face and sent him flying.

“The captain!!” Many of the navy officers were yelling out their surprise. Luffy and Morgan staring each other down that was over just as quickly as it began, with Morgan snarling an insult.

“Die!!!!” Morgan slammed his axe down again, barely missing Luffy who spun through the air.

“No thanks!” Luffy teased, foot landing into Morgan's face forcing him to sail backward again. She settled onto the ground and started to rearrange her bandaging around her thigh, not really worried about Luffy now as she noticed he was just completely mocking the captain. 

“He’s just so strong…” Koby whispered from a couple of feet behind her. She grunted her agreement, folding the handkerchiefs better for her wound.

The marines seemed to be completely overwhelmed, all of them saying to each other how their captain was just being pummeled and thrown around by this scrappy kid. 

“You call yourself the Navy!? You’ve destroyed Koby’s dream!” Tsu felt a rush of warmth for her kind brother, finishing tightening up the knots to keep her bandages firmly on her thigh. As she finished that she heard Koby give a small gasp and his feet shuffled. Tsu turned quickly, worried that he hurt his shoulder even more. She was horrified to see a gun pointed at her little friend's head as he stared at her with wide teary eyes.

“Stop, Mugiwara!!” Helmeppo yelled to Luffy. Tsu didn’t dare turn around and kept her eyes firmly on Koby, hoping she’s conveying a steady fast, and unworried aura for him. She heard a dull thud of fist against skin which made Helmeppo yell again. “I said STOP, you absolute moron! I have a hostage here!”

“Helmeppo-sama!!” Multiple different male voices yelled out, whether it was in warning or surprise she didn’t bother to decode it, eyes boring into Koby’s.

“Oi.” Zoro’s cool voice called out, she was assuming it was to Luffy because Luffy let out a questioning noise.

“If you value this boy’s life, don’t move! If anyone so much as flinches, I’ll shoot!!” Helmeppo said, face screwed up and spittle coming from his lips. His hands trembled which made everything he was trying to do less intimidating. Koby’s eyes shifted up past hers and over her head while hardening his face even with his forehead dripping sweat and hands trembling into fists.

“Luffy-san! I don’t want to get in your way! Even if it means dying!” Koby with his declaration stopped trembling for a couple of seconds. “Let him kill me, don’t let them win because of me! I’m not afraid!”

Tsu’s throat closed up, legs tensing even through the pain and shoulders squaring. Her little friend had already changed a lot in the short time she’s known him. She admired the development while also cursing it as she had no idea what the outcome of this would be for him.

“Yeah, I know. You’re a good guy, Koby.” Luffy said, his voice curling in a way that she knew he was smiling. “Hey, idiot son, Koby really means that, so give it up.”

“Oi! I told you not to move! Don’t move or I’ll shoot!!” Helmeppo squealed, hand tightening up on the gun as she heard Luffy walking. “Fine!! I’ll just shoot him then!!”

“BEHIND YOU!!” Koby shouted. Tsu whipped her head around to see Morgan towering over her brother with his axe poised to come down hard. 

“You assaulted a member of the Navy!!” Morgan swung down while Luffy geared up to throw a punch forward. ‘ _Luffy, you idiot! I’m too far away to help!’_ Tsu screeched in her head, _‘For you or Koby!’_

“Pistol!!”

“Daddy, kill him, quick!!” 

Luffy’s fist sailed right over her head, the dull smack of a fist to skin and a body to the ground signaling he struck true. The axe stilled right above his head, Morgan's eyes unfocusing.

“Nice!” Luffy said, grin still in place as Morgan collapsed onto the ground, which showed Zoro standing behind Luffy and the collapsed Morgan. “Zoro.”

“My pleasure, Captain.”

Tsu scrambled up, heart pumping a mile a minute. _‘My God, did he move quick. Shit! Ko-chan!’_

She whipped back around to check on her younger friend, ignoring Luffy’s satisfied giggles as she saw him collapsed back on his knees. She limped over to him to pat him on his head and drag him away from the unconscious body of Helmeppo. She heard a clang of multiple swords being sheathed in the crisp silence of the Captain's defeat.

The sheathing of swords seemed to be the signal for marines chatter again.

“He...lost?”

“The Captain lost.”

“This is unbelievable!”

“These guys are insane!!”

“Captain Morgan has been defeated!!”

Tsu fussed over Koby as she forced him closer to the other two boys. They both were gross and bloodied, but thankfully alive. His face flushed pink at her attention.

“If anyone else wants to come capture us, come forward and try.” Zoro’s voice cut through the voices and silenced them once again. The marines all glanced at each other, shaking heads and faces slowly shifting to another emotion. All of a sudden they threw their weapons, yells now piercing the plaza as they danced around with each other.

“Yes!!”

“We’re free!”

“He’s not in control anymore!”

“Long live the Marines!!!”

“His reign of terror is over!!”

“Banzai!! Banzai!!”

“Huh? Everyone is happy their captain has been defeated? What is going on with that?” Luffy said, eyes blinking owlishly at the display of joy. Hugging and laughing they all seemed to shed a few tears as the marines kept yelling about their turn of luck.

“That...really means that they also hated Morgan! Morgan was ruling by fear!” Koby perked up at the thought, hope flashing across his face as he had his perception of the navy shift back more positive. Tsu smiled at that, patting his head to smooth down his hair.

A thud drew their attention to their newest companion who was the source of the sound.

“Zoro?”

“Zoro-san! Are you hurt?!”

Tsu dropped her shoulders at seeing the man collapsed on the ground who slowly opened his eyes again and said, “Ahh….I’m hungry.”

Tsu looked over at Luffy who looked at her and grinned. She gestured to the plaza gate, now shuffling their Koby forward and away from the navy. Luffy gathered up Zoro, slinging Zoro’s arm around his shoulders and following her.

_‘Okay, clean our wounds and get Zoro to bathe before we eat.’_ Tsu thought, nose wrinkling at Zoro who appeared at her side still being lifted by Luffy.

“Let’s go get some food, Tsu-chan!! I’m hungry too!”

“How can you be thinking about food at a time like this, Luffy-san?! We all need to see a doctor first!” Tsu was so thankful for Koby’s common sense, she kind of wished he would have wanted to be a pirate with them.

_‘But,’_ she thought, glancing at his beaming face. _‘I suppose that’s totally out of question now.’_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was....so hard to get done with.  
> My power went out because of an ice storm, then I got busy, then the election, and now this weekend was just me helping my friends move into a new apartment. And I'm worrying about getting aj job in this world of COVID, so stress everywhere LOL  
> Being mentally and emotionally exhausted really makes it hard to write.  
> I wanted this chapter done like.....5 days ago  
> But! I did it! Here it is! I hope you enjoy it!  
> Once again, no beta we die like men.


	4. Sail Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tsu feels like she unintentionally got off the wrong foot with the new crew member and she also says farewell to their new friend in the only way Pirates can when their friends have different dreams than they do.

Tsu supposed she was being a bit harsh as she dumped the rapidly cooling water over the green-haired man, though it did make her brother laugh at the man's sputtering. Tsu was grateful that Rika’s mother was letting her use the back of the restaurant to scrub down the, frankly speaking, horrendously smelling man. 

Roronoa was grumbling but didn’t protest much as she lathered soap into a cloth and started to scrub down his hair, neck, and shoulders. She could tell he wasn’t happy about having her behind him by how tense he was, but at this point, they didn’t have time for them to play the trust game when he smelled like this.

He had his own pack given back with fresh clothes just on the outside of the restaurant doors, where they could hear the clanking of dishes and the smell of food being cooked. Her thigh protested as she scrubbed a particularly tough spot on his shoulder blade. He grunted, flinching forward, clutching the towel to his lap in modesty.

“Woman! Are you always this rough and inconsiderate of others' personal space?!” He yelped when Tsu forced his head down and rubbed behind his ears. She huffed and dropped the washcloth over his shoulder then pointed at Luffy, who hadn’t stopped giggling.

“Zoro, don’t be too mad. Tsu-chan  _ hates  _ when people are dirty around her. I had to deal with it until we were thirteen.” Luffy mused though his attention was slowly going back to the doorway. “She doesn’t mind anyway, she likes taking care of others!”

Tsu couldn’t tell what Roronoa thought of that as she could only see the back of his head. He grumbled a bit though as he took the cloth and started washing. She grabbed one of the other buckets and filled it with water, her back to the boys. Tsu pointed to the two spare clothes next to Luffy and whistled to get his attention. He threw both to her and she dropped one in to soak as she started unwrapping her makeshift bandages. She pouted, upset at tossing the little handkerchiefs into the trash can.

_ ‘My cute little ones, I’m so sorry you met this fate.’ _ she thought in farewell. She quickly yanked off her goggles and splashed her sweat-soaked face, patting herself dry as quickly as possible. Turning her attention back to her thigh, she winced as she wiped the soaking cloth across her wound, washing away the dirt and dried blood. After settling her goggles back onto her face, she wrung out the cloth and limped back into the restaurant to sit at the table and wrap her wound, all the while ignoring Roronoa’s grumbles and Luffy’s giggles. She tiredly smiled at Koby who had fresh bandages seen through the hole in his shirt when she was finished.

“Thank you for letting me use your handkerchiefs, Tsu-san,” He reached down into his lap and offered her a bag, with a blush across his cheeks. “Here, I asked the Doctor that helped me if they had anything similar and had some old ladies give this to me just a few minutes ago.”

Tsu peaked into the bag and felt her heart constrict with gratefulness as she saw various types of patterned handkerchiefs. She looked up with teary eyes to the sheepish boy, who couldn’t look her in her face. ‘ _ Thank you _ ’, she thought, choked up and could only show her gratitude through a pat on the head and a tug at his ear. Luffy in an instant settled into a spot next to her with his signature laugh with Roronoa settling across from her, hair still dripping wet onto his clean white shirt. Oh man, was she thankful he had spare clothes and that now she only smelled soap from him. 

Tsu sheepishly admitted to herself she should probably find a way to apologize to him since she  _ was _ a bit rough in forcing him to take a bath and then  _ helping _ to bathe him. She completely blames it on growing up with boys and forcing them to take multiple baths a week, that she completely disregards personal boundaries with things like that.

Rika’s mother settled all the food down onto the table, smiling at how Roronoa and Luffy both started devouring the food like ravenous wolves. Tsu, experienced only by years of Luffy and uncivilized Bandit exposure, snatched at food as quickly as possible to lean her and her plate away from the table. Their poor Koby left startled in the wake of the whirlwind that was Luffy after a big fight. Koby yelped but was finally being a bit forceful as he desperately grabbed food. 

They ate in relative silence, Tsu thinks all of them were just a bit too preoccupied with how wonderful this food was. Tsu finished before the three boys, taking out her sketchbook for a new page. She made a quick comic book like sketches of everything that happened in the courtyard, writing notes on the sides such as ‘make dialogue?’, ‘lots of blood here’, ‘make Koby as pitiful as he actually was’, ‘make yourself pitiful as you actually were’, ‘Luffy and Zoro were pretty cool here’ and many others. Tsu also flipped to a new page and wrote a small ‘sorry’ and slid it over to Roronoa, ears, and cheeks a bit pink.

He looked down at it, still stuffing food in his mouth. He looked to be a bit startled when he read the apology and waved her away, coughing a bit. She took back the book, outlining the scene in front of her as quickly as possible as she saw Koby stop and Roronoa slow down. Tsu settled the sketchbook on the table then put that paper bag Koby got her and her pack on the table as well. She figured now was the best time to reorganize her pack.

“Wha’ i’ ‘at ‘ag ‘or, ‘Su??” Luffy garbled over the mouthful of food. Tsu sent him a glare that was definitely damped by her goggles but took out the pile of handkerchiefs and presented them quickly to the mannerless boy, inclining her head to the now embarrassed Koby.

“She used her stuff on my wounds and her own, so I asked around to replace them for her,” Koby said giggling a bit, rubbing the back of his head. 

Luffy nodded, swallowing his food, and said, “Yeah, she’s a bit weird about those things.”

Tsu frowned and sent a kick at him under the table, once again cursing the fact he won’t ever feel pain from that. Luffy shishi-ed, enjoying the fact he could tease her about something. Zoro leaned back and let out a large happy sigh, a grin taking over his face, “I’m stuffed. I was definitely at my ropes end for not having eaten that long!”

“Ohhh, you’ve finished already?? See you wouldn’t have been able to survive for a month!” Luffy continued munching on the food, ignoring the disbelieving look Roronoa was giving him. 

“How the hell can you have a larger appetite than me? You’re so scrawny.” Roronoa was leaning forward, pointing at the large pile of plates. “Also isn’t it a bit funny how you seem hungrier than me?”

“It tastes sooo good! Right Koby, Tsu?” Luffy dismissed Roronoa’s questions. Roronoa sighed and leaned back. Tsu nodded, sending a slight bow over to Rika’s mom.

“Thank you so much for treating me as well to the food, ma’am….” Koby sheepishly said, also bowing.

“It’s no problem! All four of you saved this town after all!” She was smiling as she said that. Tsu could see the cute similarities between Rika and her now with that smile. 

“Luffy-nii-chan is really amazing!” Rika squeaked from between Tsu and Luffy.

“Yep, I am and I’m going to become a lot greater!” Luffy declared, once again mouth stuffed to the brim. “Because I’m gonna be King of the Pirates! And now I even have a true crew!”

“So how many others have you gathered besides me?” Roronoa questioned, leaning an arm over the back of his chair with a crooked grin on his face. Luffy stuffed himself more, looking over to Roronoa, who sighed and offered, “You said you were gathering a crew….To be King of the Pirates, you must have a good number gathered.”

Tsu closed her eyes, taking a deep breath to prepare herself, only to open her eyes again to face the oncoming disaster as Luffy so casually informed their new crewmate, “You and Tsu-chan.”

Roronoa’s face dropped, his hand slowly coming up to point at her, Luffy then himself. “What? Then….”

“Ye-up! Just us three!” Luffy said, grinning from ear to ear. Tsu sighed, sheepishly turning her attention back to rearranging her pack to not look at any of them.

‘We’re calling just us three a  _ pirate crew _ ??”

“What’s wrong with that? Me and you are pretty strong, and Tsu-chan knows how to fight too! She’s just better with her knives!” Tsu felt herself slump unintentionally, stung a bit at the reminder of her knives. She completely ignored Roronoa’s eyes on her, as he asked about their ship, her ears warming once again in embarrassment.

“There!” Luffy said, which made Roronoa break his gaze from her and get up to look out the window.

“T-that?” His voice was filled with incredulous contempt. Tsu let out a little snort of amusement, settling all her things very nicely in her pack and put it back on her hip.

“We’ll have a ship that is  _ THIS  _ big before long!” Luffy stretched his arms out, though he kept them at normal length. Tsu smiled at his enthusiasm and startled to look over as Roronoa laughed out loud, “And how’s that going to happen?!”

Tsu didn’t have to wonder if his laugh was mocking because at a glance it seemed more a laugh of surprise and amused questioning. His face turned more apprehensive and building resignation  as Luffy sprouted a bit more of what he wanted.

“I think Luffy-san was born without any sense of planning or thinking ahead….” Koby said, wry amusement in his tone. She nodded in agreement, leaning over to tug Luffy’s ear affectionately.

“Did...did I really make this guy my captain?” Roronoa sighed, rubbing the furrow between his twitching brows, coming back over to sit with all of them. Rika had stayed next to Luffy with stars in her eyes, she was cute. So much so that Tsu couldn’t help but pet her head.

“We’ll get more members later, nothing to worry about!” Luffy said in all his happy glory. 

“Where are you guys going to go next??” Rika piped up, attention flickering to Tsu then to Luffy. 

“It’s obvious! We are going to head to The Grand Line!” Luffy’s voice curled around those words in excitement. Tsu gulped, hands fumbling back to her pack on her hip just to hide her shaking hands. She _ knew  _ the grand line, born in it, and ran from it. She knew more than enough of what they were getting into, yet she felt she still didn’t  _ know  _ enough. She could hardly remember anything other than the terror and shame that she experienced there. She wouldn’t be any help to them, since she disregarded all information about the Line and the sea from her mind.

Tsu flinched at the pessimism that sprouted from Koby, feeling guilty because her own thoughts were spiraling that way. More on  _ her  _ abilities and not Luffy’s. Rika’s little voice full of curiosity asked, “Is the Grand Line really that terrible?”

“Naturally!! That place has bloodthirsty pirates that have gathered from all the seas! This world has two oceans that are split by the Red Line and the Grand Line goes through that at a right angle all across the world.” Tsu nodded to that, head still bowed a bit. “And at the end of the Grand Line, Gold Roger, on his execution, said he left the One Piece at an island. That’s why all those pirates have gathered there and made it a battlefield! The Grand Line is called a pirate graveyard!”

She could hear him shuddering, she could just imagine the sweat pouring down his face. Tsu wished she could soothe him, but she couldn’t even calm herself well enough.

“I heard from many customers that whoever enters the Grand Line never return….” Rika’s mother had a somber, almost respectful tone. Tsu cracked a little smile at that and lifted her head, ignoring Luffy’s glance over to her.

“Well, but that’s where the One Piece is, so we’re going.” Luffy smiled, unworried about the looming danger.

“Well, guess it can’t be helped. If that’s what we are after, then we head to the Grand Line.” Roronoa was already following Luffy’s lead in nonchalant-ness and bubbling eagerness from the grin that was dancing on his face.

“Zoro-san, even you’re agreeing with him?!” Koby leaped to his feet, almost borderline frustrated and completely ignoring his shirt that was wet from him spitting out his drink in surprise earlier. “Tsu-san!?”

“What’s it matter?? You’re not coming with us, are you? No need to get so worried about it.” Zoro questioned, genuinely curious of Koby’s intense reaction. Tsu smiled back at Koby, trying to settle him. He got a bit red, whether it was from her smile or being embarrassed by Roronoa’s questions she couldn’t tell.

“N-no! But just because I’m not going doesn’t mean I’m not worried about you three!” Koby clenched his fists, his voice trembling a little, looking to Luffy. “Luffy-san, Tsu-san and I haven’t known each other long, but we are friends! Aren’t we?”

“We’re going our own ways, but we’ll alllwwaays be friends!” Luffy sent a large sun-like grin to Koby who looked so incredibly pleased and touched, even when he turned to her to get her own smile directed at him.

“Since I was little...I’ve never had friends, much less someone who would fight for my sake. You are my first ever friends. I was always picked on, I wouldn’t even stick up for myself!” Koby’s voice became watery with unshed tears. “But more than anything, I never fought for anything...but all of you taught me to live and fight for my dreams!”

“Un, that’s why we are headed to the Grand Line,” Luffy said, completely ruining the warm moment between all of them. Tsu let out a snort, leaning back in the chair and shook her head. 

“Yeah, make sense to me.” Zoro mused, nodding in complete agreement to Luffy. 

“Well...that is true…” Koby started nodding along, then shook himself violently. “No! I’m trying to convince you all how reckless this is!!”

Koby groaned as he slid back into the chair beside Zoro, completely defeated by their continued apathy. Tsu patted his hand in sympathy which he sent a wobbly smile to her in response. Though both were startled from their moment when Roronoa’s hilt gently tapped Koby on the forehead.

“You should put that energy in worrying about yourself there, kid.” Roronoa’s voice was a bit gruff but had an undertone of care. “You were on Alvida’s pirate ship for two years. That can mean you’re a small pirate yourself, even though you were just a chore boy.”

Koby’s face turned white, even at the gentle tone that Roronoa was talking in. “Don’t underestimate the Navy’s information gathering skills, if they ever find out about that, you’ll never be able to join.”

“N-now you mention that…” Koby trembled, worry clouding his face.

Tsu’s lips twisted to a frown at the unfortunate fact that she had to agree with Roronoa, but she tugged Koby’s ear to break him out of his worry. She took his hand and flipped it so she could spell out ‘Don’t worry, you’ll figure it out’ on his palm. Koby slowly nodded to her, face now going back to his normal color.

The restaurant door opened with a call of ‘Excuse me!’. She turned, letting go of Koby’s hand and seeing a whole unit of marines file in. A tanned man with a goatee strode up to them, body rigid with self-discipline. 

“Is it true you all are pirates?” His voice was incredibly professional, adding to the self-discipline aura.

“Yep! We gained our second member, so it makes us a true pirate crew now!” Luffy happily answered the marine. Which made Tsu sigh out a frustrated breath,  _ ‘If maybe he said no we would probably be able to leave here without another incident.’ _

“Even though you are pirates, you saved our town and base, for that we are truly grateful for that. With that said, we are still Naval Officers and as such, we cannot harbor pirates at our base of operations.” The naval officer adjusted his hat just so and turned his fierce eyes to Tsu’s little group. “Please leave this town immediately! Out of obligation, we will refrain from contacting headquarters about who you are."

The townspeople that had been gathered out in front of the restaurant in their own celebration all let out their disapproval at the navy.

"Hey! How can you speak like that?!"

"Even you all were oppressed by Morgan!"

"Navy pigs!"

"You all hated Morgan just like us!"

"They saved you too!"

"Have you gone nuts?!”

“You can’t speak to our saviors like that!”

Tsu felt a rush of warmth at their words, even if they were mostly toward Roronoa and Luffy. It was still a beautiful moment of comradery and respect from people that they didn’t even know. She knew Luffy thought next to nothing of it, but she thought that receiving respect that was earned was something to be admired.

“Hmm, let’s get going then! Thanks for the food, ma’am!” Luffy said, standing up. Tsu shuffled along with him, noticing that Roronoa did as well. Tsu sent a quick bow to Rika’s mom and ruffled Rika’s hair when the little girl looked up at her, upset at the turn of events. 

“You are all leaving already?” she curled her lips into a frown.

‘Yeah,” Luffy breezily told her, having taken more food and thrown it over his shoulder in a pack. _ ‘I look away for one second,’ _ Tsu huffed in amusement, patting Rika’s head one last time. Both Roronoa and Luffy walked past Koby, completely ignoring his existence. Tsu hesitated, but followed Luffy’s lead, only twitching her lips when Koby looked at her. She heard him take a shuddering gasp when they got closer to the door.

“Are you not part of their crew?” the uptight navy officer questioned Koby when they finally made it to the door. 

“Eh? I...I’m….” Tsu didn’t need to look behind her to be able to know that Koby was shaking. She only looked to Luffy’s face, with his hat covering his eyes and body tilted just enough for her to know he was listening for Koby’s words. Tsu wondered if she should be uneasy, especially for Koby. But she wondered more if she should be so certain that Luffy had a plan. “I’m not one of them!!”

Luffy smirked, turning back to leave. Tsu, as she also turned toward the doorway to see all the townspeople, felt a rush of sadness and pride at her tiny friend knowing that forsaking them hurt him but forsaking his dream that he wanted to build would hurt worse.

“Pirates, is he telling the truth??” Tsu felt a trickle of sweat down her spine and the side of her neck, frantically thinking of how they could even  _ get  _ a navy officer to take their word for it.  _ ‘Oh yes, sir, of course he’s not!!’ _ Tsu snorted internally,  _ ‘who the hell would believe that?!’ _

“Well… I know what that guy used to do.” Tsu felt her jaw drop, but forced herself to keep looking out the door at Luffy’s prodding undertone in his voice, even when she saw Roronoa look back.  _ ‘Oh god, Luffy, how is that boy going to get out of this if you talk about Alvida??’  _

Luffy shoved the pack into her lax arms which she squeaked at as she tumbled with the sack so it didn’t fall. She sent a harsh glare to him though he was already starting to talk more and more about Alvida, arms curling out from his body to really dig into the storytelling end.

“There was this really fat pirate lady, on a secret island, I think her name was Ahiruda…” Luffy hummed and hawed, bouncing his arms up and down but not losing the shape. She heard a shuddering, “Luffy-san” from their Koby and felt her heart ache as she drilled a furious gaze into Luffy’s unworried face.  _ ‘My God, if he hasn’t thought this through, I’m throwing him in the sea myself. If you’re taunting him to get a reaction, you better force it really quick before we all really blow it!’  _ she fiercely thought as he started walking back toward Koby.

“She had this iron club, ohoh, man she was really mean, fat and ugly hag.” Luffy tapped the side of Koby’s pale and sweat covered face. “And for two years this guy..”

“SHUT UP!” Koby sucker-punched Luffy, though a flash of ‘oh god’ traveled across Koby’s face. She let loose a huge breath just as she saw from the corner of her eye Roronoa smirking. ‘ _ Welp, there’s the reaction.’ _

“You! Now you’ve done it, you bastard!” Luffy growled, lips twitching into a fierce grin as he started whaling on poor Koby. “Take this! And this! Damn you! Damn you!! You deserve this beat down!!”

_ ‘Kami, he’s going at it, but he’s being a terrible actor through it all, the idiot!’  _ she let out a worried noise, shuffling the food to set it down on the floor. ‘ _ Be a little more gentle, you jerk! He was shot!’ _

“Enough! We won’t allow you to continue destroying the peace in this town!!” The naval officer shouted, disturbed by the picture Luffy decided to paint by beating their friend. Both her and Roronoa marched forward, him grabbing the back of his shirt and her gripping his right elbow even as she stooped down to grab his fallen hat. 

“Oi, oi, that’s enough. You went overboard.” Roronoa said, shaking him a little. She made sure to give him a light pinch with her nails before she let go, wincing as she heard Koby drop to the floor.  _ ‘Don’t help him up, don’t help him up.’  _ she swallowed  _ ‘It won’t help him, it won’t help him _ .’

“It’s very clear you aren’t crewmates! Please leave this town immediately!” The officer shouted out to them. Which made Luffy grin that he quickly hid with his hat he took from her hand, placing it back on his head. The two boys turned back around marching to the doorway, she took one last look at their friend who was looking at them with a dawning realization. She followed them quickly, snatching up the food satchel and catching up to her brother and new crewmate.

“Come on, don’t you want to try and arrest me?” She heard and saw Roronoa in front of her a bit away goading a few naval officers, who all flinched back with sounds of surprise and fear. She thought it was a little funny, as she trailed behind to bow at the townspeople, the only one hearing the beginnings of Koby’s Navy journey.

“Please! Please let me join the Navy!! I’ll gladly be a cabin boy or anything, just let me join!” She sighed happily as she now felt better following the two boys who were already eager to leave and too far ahead to hear the next shout of their tiny friend..

“I’M NO PIRATE! I’M A MAN WHO WILL BECOME A MARINE OFFICER!”

‘ _ Good job, Koby’  _ she grinned, jogging now to catch up with her two (new) boys. They walked a bit longer until they saw the tiny boat when Roronoa decided to say something.

“That was some pretty lame acting. I wouldn’t be surprised if they saw right through it.” Roronoa’s voice had a hint of teasing and then he chuckled a bit when she put her knuckles into the back of Luffy’s neck and wiggled it down. Luffy just laughed, because nothing short of spikes or knives could really hurt him.

“Koby will handle the rest on his own now. He’ll get in somehow, I just know it!” Luffy said, his usual without care attitude. She hummed, a secret smile blooming on her face. 

‘It’s a nice way to leave, though. Being unable to turn back because everyone hates you-- seems like a very pirate-like way to leave a town!” Roronoa said, a bit of excitement twinging his grin. 

Luffy laughed as he loosened the tie holding the boat to the dock, “That’s true!”

Tsu quickly made her way into the boat and settled herself down right in the middle after she placed the food with the other food she had stored. Roronoa looked quizzically at her, but before he could ask they all heard a loud, “Tsu-san! Luffy-san!”

They all looked over and saw Koby, Rika, and her mother. Koby saluted them all, “Thank you! I will never forget everything you have done for me!”

“Well, that’s a new one. I never heard of a Marine saluting  _ and _ thanking a pirate.” The words rolled from Roronoa’s mouth in amusement. Luffy giggled, tossing the rope into the boat and leaping in himself, with Roronoa following right after. After opening the sail, Luffy turned back to their friends on the shore just as the wind picked up to boost them from the dock.

‘We’ll see each other again, Koby!” Luffy yelled back, waving. Only for Tsu to let out a shocked yelp, scrambling up and landing on her knees to grab on Luffy’s leg and pointing back to the dock. 

“Oi.” Roronoa let out a surprised, unbelieving laugh at what they were witnessing. The whole navy was saluting them as they sailed away and the whole town had followed them to wave and holler their own farewells.

Tsu started laughing, taking out her sketchbook, still with an elbow looped around Luffy’s leg, and wrote, ‘Seems like everyone could see right through you, only another reminder of why no one should tell you secrets!’

“Tsu-chan!”Luffy huffed out though his smile never left his face. The island was fading away as their boat raced across the sea. She had finally settled back into her designated spot and brought out her bigger sketchbook to start filling it with the start of their adventures.

“Yes! Our pirate crew sets sail!” Luffy yelled out to the sea, hand clutching his hat to his head. ‘ _ I should find something for that, so he doesn’t lose it. _ ’ she made a mental check note as her pencil scratched across the paper pausing to look up when she heard Roronoa say something.

“Looks like we’ll have some pretty good adventures waiting for us.” Roronoa mused, looking over at Luffy with a curious glint in his eyes. Luffy looked ahead of him into the horizon of the sea, She felt a thrill down her spine at Luffy’s fierce eyes that seemed to look behind this sea into the next, already blazing a road in his head to his goal.

“I’m going to be King of the Pirates,” Luffy said, the fierceness in his eyes seeping into his voice.

“You seem really obsessed over this King of the pirate's thing.” Roronoa almost had a contemplating look on his face as he looked over at Luffy. She wanted to snort,  _ ‘Oh, not like how you are with being the best swordsman huh?’ _ . He continued, oblivious to her thoughts, “Is there some reason for it?”

Luffy hummed a bit, “Well, it’s just…”

“It’s just??”

“I swore to a man that someday I would gather a great crew, find the world’s greatest treasure and become King of the Pirates! This straw hat knows that promise!” Luffy declared, shifting his straw hat. Tsu went back to scribbling in her book, building upon the outline that she already made to capture Roronoa Zoro’s fierceness onto paper.

Roronoa turned his head away and smiled, “I see…”

“Yoooosshhhh! Let’s go!! Set sail for the Grand Line!!” Luffy yelled out to the sunset. Tsu huffed some laughter, letting her head fall back to the boats’ small seat. Roronoa grunted, shifting himself into a more comfortable position even as his eyes glinted with growing excitement. 

  
_ ‘Yes, Let’s head out to sea.’  _ she thought, soaking in the blues, pinks, and oranges of the sky.  _ ‘Let’s see each other soon, Ace.’ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh man, lemme tell you it has been a long month.  
> Stress made it hard for me to bust this out when I wanted to.   
> Stress from applications, interviews, and then starting a new job.   
> I finally had the house to myself today so I cracked this whole thing out lololol  
> My whole schedule is changing so I can't sit here from midnight to 3 am to write. So I'm going to have to find a new time to get inspired.  
>  Please show Tsu lots of love for her unintentional blundering with her new crewmate, she's too used to getting her way with cleanliness with her childhood family lolol


End file.
